Scarlet Moonlight
by emilyijae.kim
Summary: Aye Yokota is with the Shinsengumi to help protect Chizuru Yukimura, a pureblood Oni. One day, Aye goes undercover as a geisha to Shimabara. Her mission is to kill Kazama Chikage, an attractive yet dangerous Oni. As Aye realizes the reason he kept her alive, and uncovers secrets, a scarlet love begins. Under the moonlight, will Aye Yokota choose love or duty? (Updates on Mondays)
1. Chapter 1

Aye started getting ready to leave to the red-light district.

"Are you really okay with this?" as she looked up, Harada-san was leaning against her door.

"Yes. All I've ever been was a burden to you and the Shinsengumi. This is the least I can do," Aye said as she packed her things and stood up. "Besides, this isn't just about me repaying your kindness. It's for Chizuru as well. For her safety,"

"Okay, I get that Chizuru part, but that's not true! You were a huge help to us. You helped us with the Ochimizu, you even helped us on our patrols." Harada exclaimed as he reached for Aye's head. He kept his hand on her head for a while.

"It's okay, Harada-san. Anyways, I can fight. I have my fans, dagger and katana," she said as she gestured to her sack, which carried her stuff, and her hips. "Say goodbye to everyone else for me, please. I really must leave now. Osen-chan and Chizuru are probably waiting for me."

Chizuru was a very precious person. She was one of the only pureblood Oni's in this world, and of course, Kazama Chikage. He was the reason Aye was leaving to Shimabara. Kazama would always be a danger to Chizuru, and Aye's duty was to protect her. She was to find out about Kazama's weakness, and get rid of him if she could. And she would.

* * *

><p><em>His blood-red eyes glinted in the moonlight. As he glided towards Chizuru, he reached his hand out to touch her face. There soon was Aye standing between them, with her two fans catching his hand. He frowned, as the metal part of the fan had squeezed his hand hard. It would leave a bruise if he were a normal human. Except he wasn't. He was a pureblood Oni from the West.<em>

_"Don't you dare touch her," she said through clenched teeth. Kazama Chikage just stood there, and huffed. He was too furious to even laugh. It would be easier for him if he got rid of this fake Oni._

_"You're one of them…" Kazama said, but before he could finish his sentence, Aye had one of her daggers at his neck. There was a line of blood that trickled down his neck. He was furious. He reached down for his katana, and pulled it out of its sheath._

_The two of them were standing, waiting for one of them to attack. Aye attacked first. Now with her katana raised, she clashed it down at Kazama, but of course, he was faster. He blocked her attack, and brought his sword down on her side, and his katana hit her. She backed away, and she could feel the pain, throbbing. But she pushed it aside, and attacked once more. But he was an Oni, and she was a mere human. She could never win. She only had one choice. Aye changed to her Rasetsu form._

_Her hair turned from copper to snow white, and her eyes crimson red. She could feel her body becoming lighter. This time, Kazama lunged for her, his katana rising like a snake. But she was different now. She was stronger. She dodged his attack, and cut his cheek. She could clearly see the rage in his burning eyes._

_Then there was a gunshot. A jolt of pain came from Aye's leg, and her knees gave out. She slumped down on the ground, and Chizuru ran towards her._

_"Are you alright?" Chizuru touched her side, and she grimaced in pain._

_"What are you doing, Shiranui?" Kazama hissed at the man with a long ponytail._

_"Amagiri sent me to bring you back to the Satsuma's headquarters. Man, he really is a lazy old guy." He said, eyes only half open. He looked relaxed, like Kazama. Was that a trait that all Oni's had?_

_Aye couldn't let Kazama get away. Fighting the pain that was spreading, she quickly got her dagger out, and threw it towards Kazama. But he caught it with his fingers with ease. This enraged her. She growled at him, but she felt her human-self taking over her. When she turned back, her eyes felt droopy, and the injury hurt more than it had before. She grimaced, and touched the wound on her leg. The bullet was still in her thigh. She had to get it out. Fighting the pain, she got her dagger and dug it in her wound, and took the bullet out. Aye screamed in pain. Chizuru's grip on Aye tightened as she screamed._

_Kazama was staring at Aye, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. She glared at him, and although she wanted to kill him right at this moment, she didn't even have the energy to stand. She would save her strength for later, when she was stronger. She would protect Chizuru, because that was her duty. She would kill Kazama._

* * *

><p>Aye slowly walked towards the front gate of the Shinsengumi's headquarters. When she stepped out, she was greeted by Osen-chan and a worried Chizuru. Chizuru was dressed in her men's clothes, and as she walked towards Aye, tears started to well in her eyes. Aye pulled Chizuru into a tight hug.<p>

"Don't cry. This isn't the last time we'll see each other," Aye said, failing to leave out the sadness in her voice.

"But… You're leaving because of me…" Chizuru said, sniffing and wiping away her tears.

"Yes, Chizuru. Which is why I need you to be a strong girl, and _not_ cry," Aye said, as she press one of her seven daggers into the palms of Chizuru.

"But this is your dagger, don't you need it?" Chizuru said, holding her tears in.

"Chizuru, listen carefully. Right now, you are my top priority. And I need to go to Shimabara to help you be safe. I'll only be gone for a few days, a few weeks tops. If anyone, and I mean if _anyone_ tries to harm you, do not hesitate to use this dagger. Alright?" Aye asked, holding Chizuru's shoulders. "You are a powerful and valuable Oni. You never know what's going to happen to you."

Chizuru nodded eagerly. "Okay,"

"Good," with one last hug, Aye and Osen-chan were on their way to the red-light district.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, so I know my updates are really slow, like every Monday. I'm really sorry about that, and I'm thinking maybe I should change the updates to Mondays _and_ Thursdays. I mean, if you guys want me to. So please, send me a review/private message, and tell me what you think. Thanks, and there's a little something for my book Scarlet Moonlight. Go to my profile, and you'll find a link that has the caption 'Trailer'. You'll know when you see it. Watch it, and please rate it.**

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><p>Aye and Osen-chan arrived at Shimabara in roughly 10 minutes. Though it was a short walk, Aye was very tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, since she would be going undercover as a geisha.<p>

"Your room is just around the corner," Osen-chan said, as she directed Aye to the corner. "Kimigiku can show you around tomorrow. You must be tired,"

"Yes. Thank you Osen-chan," Aye said with a polite nod, and she entered the room. Unexpectedly, there was another girl in the room, her forest brown hair longish. She had a kimono that looked to be her nightgown on, and was laying out a second futon next to hers.

"Oh! Hello, you must be the new geisha I was informed about!" She rushed towards Aye and did a small bow, and Aye returned it. Her dark amber eyes look into Aye's gray ones. "My name is Kosuzu, and I am a geisha in training,"

"Hello Kosuzu, my name is Aye Yokota. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said. Kosuzu squealed in delight and held Aye's hand in hers.

"I can call you Aye, right? You can call me Kosuzu!" Too stunned by the overly bright girl, all Aye could do was nod. Kosuzu took hold of Aye's arm, and she dragged her towards the futon, taking Aye's belongings in the other hand. When the girl let go of Aye's arm, she put the sack next to the futon, and dragged Aye down onto the floor with her.

"So, tell me your story," Kosuzu said, the too bright girl now serious.

"What story?"

"Oh, you know. How you got to come here," and they spent the rest of the night talking, and getting to know each other better. After all, they _were_ going to be together for a while.

* * *

><p>The sound of the room's door sliding open woke Aye the next morning. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by an unknown room. Then she remembered the night before. She was a geisha now, and she was staying in the same room as an overly excited and happy girl. Not that she disliked it, of course. But she didn't want to get too close to her, since she never knew what would happen.<p>

"Aye-sama," a voice made her sit up on her futon. She peered up from her still sleepy eyes, and saw a beautiful woman standing in front of her. She was so beautiful. "I am Kimigiku. I am sorry to wake you, but Senhime-sama told me to show you around," Kimigiku said.

"No, no it's fine. Thank you. But I would like to get dressed, if that is fine?" Aye asked, and Kimigiku nodded. She stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. After Kimigiku left the room, Aye changed into her men's clothes, since she did not know what else to wear.

When Aye stepped out of the room—careful not to wake Kosuzu—she realized Kimigiku's surprised expression. It was probably because of her men's clothing.

"My dear Aye-sama, I think we should first visit the my room," without knowing the reason why, Aye followed behind Kimigiku, as she strode gracefully towards her room.

When they arrived, Kimigiku slid open the door, and let herself in, and gestured for Aye to enter as well. She headed towards her wardrobe, and pulled out a beautiful green and white kimono. She smiled at Aye, and handed her the kimono. When she was handed the kimono, she fumbled, and murmured a slight apology. Kimigiku stared at Aye for a few seconds, then chuckled lightly.

"Could it be that you do not know how to put on a kimono?" she said with a smile. Aye was too embarrassed to say anything, and so she just simply nodded, and smiled apologetically.

"I have never worn one. I was basically brought up as a boy." Aye commented while Kimigiku started getting her beautified.

A few seconds later, Aye was standing in front of a mirror, or was she? Inside the mirror, there was a stunning lady. She had a green and white kimono, with purple designs on the neck. As she stood there, gaping at herself, Kimigiku couldn't stifle her giggle.

"Aye-sama, we really should get going. We have spent enough time on dressing up. Now I really must show you around." Kimigiku spoke while she led Aye towards the door of the room.

"Yes, we should."

* * *

><p>After the tour of the entire Shimabara, Aye's feet ached. They had walked around Shimabara twice, the first time of Kimigiku explaining, and second time of watching and observing. Then Kimigiku had dropped her off at her room, where Kosuzu was trying to get her hair up into a bun.<p>

"Hey, Aye-chan, could you please help me? We have very important guests coming to Shimabara today, and I want to look my best." Kosuzu said, furrowing her brows.

"Who's coming?" Aye asked, a little confused. She looked into Kosuzu's amber eyes, and saw something that looked like excitement and nervousness.

"I… It's… Uh…" Kosuzu stuttered. "It's this guy… His name is Ryunosuke Ibuki, and…" Kosuzu said. And although she didn't finish her sentence yet, Aye could guess what was going on.

"Okay. I get it. Let me help you." Though Aye didn't really know much about hair, she did know one hairstyle that would look great on Kosuzu. So she put her hair up in a traditional bun.

After putting all sorts of ornaments on Kosuzu's hair, Aye let her stare at herself in the mirror.

"Wow, I thought you said you didn't know much!" Kosuzu exclaimed. With a shrug, Aye patted Kosuzu on the back. "Thanks so much," she said and hugged Aye.

"No problem. This is probably the least I can do. I'll cheer on you from here," Aye said, as she pushed Kosuzu towards the door. "You should hurry and go."

"What do you mean, Aye-chan? Aren't you supposed to come with me? I heard that we were going to go together."

"What? But I've never done this before. Shouldn't I get some training first?" Aye said with her arms in the air.

"This _is_ your training, Aye-chan!" Kosuzu cried out. "Let's get you ready!"

* * *

><p>Aye was dressed up in a white and red kimono. Her face was painted white, and her eyes a light shade of pink. Her copper hair was done in a traditional up do. This felt very weird for her, since she'd never had so much makeup on before. Inside her clothing were her weapons. Her two fans on her hips, and her daggers on her arms.<p>

"Aye-chan, you look great!" Kosuzu said. Though compared to Kosuzu, she was nothing.

"Thanks. But I really have no idea what to do when I get out there,"

"Don't worry, you probably just have to pour some sake, and answer questions if they ask," Kosuzu said.

She made it sound so easy.

Kosuzu and Aye slide open the door of a room, and bowed in front of a group of men. As Aye raised her head and stood up, she felt a weird source of energy flowing in the room.

_'Maybe I'm just tired…'_

But as she walked towards the man who she was assigned to, her heart fell. His crimson eyes looked at her, no, _through_ her, as if she were just a part of the air.

There he was, the reason she was here.

_Kazama Chikage._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! So I am back with Chapter 3 of Scarlet Moonlight! And I know that some chapters can be really short, so if they are, I'm planning to post more. Like, my Chapter 2 was really short, so I'm adding Chapter 3 on Thursday. So if I think this chapter is short, I will update another one on Monday. Yes, yes. It is a confusing way to update stories, but I have a writer's block... So... I think I need more time. I am currently working on Chapter 6 of the story, and it is definitely going to be... Intense? Ahahaha. And some of my chapters do have gruesome scenes, like, somebody's head falls to the ground, etc. In this chapter, you will find out more about Aye's past, and how different she was... Hehehehe**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

><p>Aye was now sitting next to Kazama Chikage, pouring sake into his cup over and over again. He never knew when to stop. The men in the room kept talking about the Shinsengumi, and how stupid they were. It was a concerning topic to Aye, but she was too busy trying to act neutral, and ignore the fact that she was sitting next to an Oni. An Oni who could probably sense that she was in fact, not human.<p>

There was a splitting headache in the center of Aye's head, and she didn't know why. Was it because she was nervous? But she was snapped back out of her thoughts when she heard a clashing sound followed by screams. Her head snapped up, and realized that it was the man who was with Kosuzu raising a ruckus.

"Serizawa-sensei, please—" One of the men was cut off by a booming voice.

"Shut up!" He shouted. Then his gaze lowered to a sitting Kosuzu. "How dare you! You dare to defy me?" As he raised a hand to hit Kosuzu, she closed her eyes, but the impact did not come. Aye stood from her seat, and strode towards the man and Kosuzu, but a boy about her age was there, and he held the big man's strong arms. Kosuzu slowly peeled her eyes open, and saw the boy.

"Ibuki-han!" she shouted, surprised to see the boy blocking the man. But he was not standing for long. Before he could do anything, the man sent the boy flying across the room. There was a loud bang, and Kosuzu got up and started running towards the boy, but she was stopped when the man caught her by her hair. Then, there was a low growl. He had a dagger stuck in his arm. Aye had thrown it when he caught Kosuzu. She ran to the girl, and asked if she was fine. Kosuzu seemed to be fine, just a little shaken up.

"Kosuzu, why don't you check up on him?" she said, pointing to the boy. Kosuzu nodded and scrambled towards the boy. Aye stood, and faced the man. She could see the rage and anger burning in his eyes. But she didn't see the hand coming towards her face, and dodged a little too late. The man backhanded Aye, but she didn't move an inch. She just stood there, and spit the blood out that was forming inside her mouth.

Then she saw him. His scarlet eyes were staring at her, watching her every move. Something started pounding in her head, and she gasped and clasped her hands around them. She felt something that felt so foreign, yet familiar.

Blood.

She wanted blood. No. She _needed_ it.

Many of the people were already out of the room, but there still were some geisha and men in the room. She couldn't let them see her as a Rasetsu. It was a secret she had to keep for herself, and the Shinsengumi.

"Get out!" Aye shouted, and this startled the big man. "All of you! OUT!" The people left in the room clambered to their feet, and ran out of the room, not wanting to take any part in this commotion. Only Serizawa and Kazama remained in the room. She scanned the room for other people, and let herself go.

Her hair turned white, and her eyes from gray to carmine red. She couldn't control her bloodlust.

She needed to kill.

She needed blood.

Aye's gaze drifted towards Serizawa as her headache faded away. She grabbed her two fans from her either side of her hip, and attacked him. The metal side of the fans hit Serizawa's arm, as he tried to unsheathe his katana. When he got it out, he sliced it across Aye's chest, and because she was not in her right mind, it hit her. The blood from her chest fell to the ground, one drop at a time. She was too busy staring at the blood, that she didn't notice Serizawa as he kicked her stomach and made her tumble to the ground. She groaned in pain as her vision blurred.

Suddenly, Serizawa was above her, raising his katana for the final blow. Aye spotted an ornament that had fell out of her hair, and she grabbed it and stabbed in into Serizawa's leg. He screamed in agony, as he crumbled to the ground. Aye felt her body becoming heavy, fighting to hold onto her consciousness. But as if someone was telling her to let go, her eyes were slowly closing.

And the darkness consumed her.

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><p><em>A girl with copper hair and gray eyes stood in front of the Shinsengumi's headquarters. She was standing there, holding a sack close to her body. Her body was covered in blood, some of hers, but most of someone else's. Dry tears covered her face, and specks of red masked her face. A man at the gate walked towards her, unsure if she was the one who caused all the blood or not.<em>

_"Are you looking for someone?" the man asked, keeping his distance._

_"I… I was running… And I ended up here…" she said, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Her gray eyes had no focus, and remained hazy. Without knowing what to do, the man walked inside the gate, and left the girl standing there, dazed._

_Then there were feet shuffling, and the girl looked up from the ground to see a boy who looked too much like a girl. He was followed by a group of men wearing blue haori's. Then, from inside the compound, the man who was standing outside before came rushing out with a man with shoulder-length dark hair and round glasses._

_"Is this the girl you were talking about?" The man said. His voice was very soft, yet there was something that didn't seem so gentle._

_"Yes, Sannan-san. She appears to be lost," the man said, searching for any sign of emotion on the man's face. The man with dark hair observed her for a while, and then told her to follow him. Too weakened to say anything, she just followed him into the compound. The girl was lead to a room, and the people who were outside had come in as well. Inside the room, there were 8 other men, sitting on the tatami floor._

_The man with glasses gestured for her to sit, and she did. She knelt on the floor, and found her eyes too heavy._

_"What is your name, and how did you get here?" A man with long black hair said, his purple eyes glazing with distrust._

_"I… My name is Aye Yokota. I was… running… and I ended up here…" She said, stumbling over her words. "My parents were… killed by rogue samurais. There was fire. I didn't know where I was going…" The girl said, tears welling in her eyes._

_"It's alright, it's not your fault. You have nowhere to go, right? You can stay with us. Isn't that right, Hijikata-san?" The boy who Aye had seen outside of the compound said. He flashed a convincing look at the man with purple eyes. The man next to him nodded. His eyes were intense for a moment, but softened as he answered._

_"Alright, alright! But you're responsible for her," he exclaimed. The boy beamed at the man, and took the girl'_s _hand. He led her to a room, and took the sack from her. He set it down, and let Aye sit down on the floor._

_"I'm Yukimura Chizuru. Just call me Chizuru!" The boy said, smiling at Aye._

_"Chi… zuru," Aye said. Chizuru giggled, blushing a little._

_"I… I'm actually a girl…" Chizuru said, looking down at her hands. "Anyways, we should first take care of you and your injury." Eyeing the injury on Aye's arm, she peeled her kimono off. Chizuru stifled a gasp as Aye revealed the wound. It was red with blood, and the cut was very deep. Chizuru quickly grabbed some water and a cloth from outside, and cleaned her cut._

_"You said your name was… Aye, right?"_

_"Yes," Aye answered, feeling a little better after cleaning the wound._

_"Well, I'm going to need help with all the chores. Would you mind helping me from now on?" Chizuru asked with a polite smile._

_"Of course. That's the least I can do for you."_

* * *

><p>Everything was a blur. Aye was sure she was lying down on a futon, and it was in the evening. But she had no idea where she was. When she tried to get up into a sitting position, her whole body ached. But she couldn't just stay here.<p>

Then something flashed in her mind. A memory of last night at Shimabara. She had lost control, and there was a fight between her and a big man. She had stabbed him in the thigh, but she didn't remember anything else from there on.

Aye couldn't stay wherever she was for long, since she had things to do at Shimabara. So she pushed all the fatigue and pain away, and sat. She felt something hard at her hips, and realized her weapons were still on her.

Not having any idea where she was, Aye got up and balanced herself. Or at least tried to. She soon fell back down onto the futon. Her lungs were burning, and she couldn't breathe. Aye took long deep breaths, slowly, and regained her strength to stand. Then there was a scoff from the other side of the room. How had she not noticed him?

Kazama Chikage was sitting on the floor, sneering at Aye.

"I see, you have finally gotten up."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, so this chapter is quite long (compared to the others) so I won't be updating a story on Thursday. Sorry! And I also kind feel bad that I'm making Aye go through all these horrible things... But I really like it when my female characters are really strong. :) Anyways, So I know that my story may not be the best, but I am trying with all my strength to make it a fun story to read. If you guys have anything to ask, anything to suggest, please, PLEASE tell me. Thank you so much!**

**Happy Reading!**

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><p>Aye hated being so vulnerable and weak against Kazama Chikage. He was towering over her, despite her standing. She quickly reached for her dagger on her arm, but was stopped by a surprisingly warm hand.<p>

"I'm not going to hurt you, _fake_," he hissed, emphasizing the last part.

"Why…" Aye said, somewhat frustrated and confused at the same time.

"You are merely a… matter of my interest."

"A matter?" She whispered, baffled by his response. Too tired to speak while standing, she let herself drop to the ground. Although she was sitting, she didn't let her guard down. She lightly placed one hand on her hip, and felt for her fan.

"Where am I?" Aye asked, disliking how he was looking down at her. But she was too tired to do anything.

"You are somewhere safe. There is no need to be alarmed," Kazama said, his crimson gaze lingering on her. His next move surprised her. As if tired of looking down at her, he sighed and sat down in front of her. She gave him a sickened glance, but he just ignored it.

They just sat there, a little awkward, in the silence. Then Aye got a shattering headache, just like the one she got last night at Shimabara. Aye stood, wanting to get some fresh air, but her knees buckled under her, and she fell. But before she hit the floor, an arm caught her. There was a piercing scream in the room, and it took a while before she realized it was hers. She held her head with the palm of her hands, and closed her eyes.

Then, everything turned red.

* * *

><p>Everything was a blur of red and black. There was a figure, one that was pinning her down by her shoulders. She shouted, but all the came out was an animalistic growl. Then the face of the mystery person cleared.<p>

It was Kazama Chikage.

He was here to take Chizuru. Aye had to kill him. She had to make him bleed.

But before she could reach for her dagger, the fog in her vision cleared, and found herself panting. Her hair stuck to her face because of the sweat.

"Wha… What happened?" Aye said, still out of breath.

"You lost control of your Rasetsu side." Kazama said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. His blonde hair was disheveled, and there was blood on his hand. Then the pain came all at once. Her chest started burning, and when she touched her wound, there was blood. Too much blood. Her vision was intruded by specks of white, and and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She slumped onto the futon, not caring if the blood stained it. She was too tired.

"You are injured, human," Kazama's resonant voice said.

"Yeah…" Aye said, before drifting back to her memories.

* * *

><p><em>It has been almost a year since Aye first arrived at the care of the Shinsengumi. They had been kind enough to let her stay, and live. A year ago, she had no hope of living, or even meeting these kind people. Saito-san had even been kind enough to teach her the history of the katana. Okita-san had been teaching her about how to wield a katana. Chizuru and Aye would always be together, either working, or chatting.<em>

_One day, Aye was called to a meeting. It had been days since Kazama Chikage had visited the Shinsengumi and threatened them. He almost took Chizuru, and if it wasn't for Hijikata-san, Chizuru would be long gone by now. Because of this incident, everyone was on the edge, trying to find a way to keep Chizuru safe._

_Aye arrived at the meeting room, and she knocked and let herself in. Everyone was inside already, except for Chizuru._

_"You called for me, Kondou-san?"_

_"Ah, yes, Aye. We were discussing on a way to keep Chizuru safe from the Oni. I called you because you know her best, and maybe you had a suggestion." Kondou-san answered, missing his usual smile. "We currently came up with the idea that someone be with her at all times. Someone who could protect her."_

_"But… Wouldn't Chizuru not want anyone looking over her? She would say she feels too much like a burden," Aye commented. This earned her a downed look from everyone else in the room. "But it is a great idea."_

_"So, back to where we were," Sannan-san said, glancing at everyone. "Who wanted to volunteer for this 'job'?" Heisuke, Hijikata-san, and Yamazaki-kun raised their hands. Not many people wanted this job._

_"Um… If it's alright, could I take the job, please?" Everyone turned to look at Aye. "I may not be as skilled as any of you, but I do know the basics. I also know Chizuru well, and she might feel a little more comfortable with me…" She said, scanning everyone's faces._

_"That could be an idea, if you could train a bit more. Isn't that right, Kondou-san?" Sannan-san said, directing his gaze at Kondou-san._

_"Hmm… It would be. Aye-san, are you sure about this? It is a dangerous job."_

_"Yes. Besides, everyone can think of it as me repaying by dept. This is the least I can do for the Shinsengumi and Chizuru. I may need a couple more weeks of training, but I can do this."_

* * *

><p><em>As the days passed by, Aye started training harder and harder with Okita-san, Saito-san, Harada-san, and Heisuke. Her skill in handling the katana improved day by day, and she learned how to use short daggers as well. She also started training with the fans that had been a present from Harada-san. It was custom made for battle. It was plain, yet had its own beauty. Its sides were made of metal, and there was a slide, which contained a blade. When slid, the blade would come out from the top, and could be used as a sharp edged weapon. Nobody taught her how to use the fan. Aye found her own way of using her own unique kind of weapon.<em>

_After a week had passed, Aye's fighting skills had improved so much she could beat most of the Shinsengumi members. And thanks to her personality to never give up, she always got injured, even during practice._

_The Shinsengumi were going out on a patrol, and Aye had to go with them, since Chizuru was going as well. But Chizuru went running into an alley, and she picked up something._

_"It's an Ochimizu vial," Chizuru said, holding the vial up. The contents of the vial were gone. It would be suicidal to stay here, since the Ratsetsu could appear any moment._

_"Chizuru, I think we should—" Aye was cut short by a group of laughter. They weren't normal laughs, but mixed with shrieks. From the dark part of the alley, the Rasetsu appeared, and they unsheathed their katanas. Aye did the same, she pulled her sword out._

_"Are… Are those…" Chizuru didn't need to finish her sentence. As Chizuru backed away, she stumbled and fell._

_This was bad. If Chizuru stayed here with Aye, then she would definitely get hurt. So she yelled at Chizuru to get the hell out of there._

_"Chizuru, you need to get out of here. Get the others. NOW!" Aye said, and Chizuru scrambled to her feet, and ran off out of the alley. The Rasetsu were still cackling and shrieking, the sound deafening to Aye. As Aye neared them, she noticed they had shreds of what was left of a blue haori on. Wanting to finish this business quickly, she lunged at the Rasetsu, but they dodged easily. As she kept attacking, she finally killed two of them, but realized that they had formed a circle around her, so that she couldn't escape._

_Each one she killed was replaced by another, and it never seemed to end. Running out of her burst of adrenaline, she let her guard down, and a Rasetsu came and stabbed her shoulder. She hissed in pain as blood started to drip down onto the floor._

_"BLOOD!" The Rasetsu screeched, and they all lunged for her. Throwing her daggers at a few of them, she attacked the nearest Rasetsu. It howled in pain, but it still had a smile on its face. After taking down twelve more of them, her vision started blurring, and there was a buzzing noise in her ear._

_Taking this time as an advantage, the Ratsetsu drove their katanas into Aye. She could feel it as one of them took their swords out from her abdomen, and one from her chest. Losing grip on any strength she had left, she crumbled to the ground._

_The group of Rasetsu peered down at her with their blood-red eyes. They started stabbing her chest over and over again, but she didn't feel a thing as her eyes started to close._

_A splatter of blood on her face let her eyes back open, and she saw the Shinsengumi killing the Rasetsu. Chizuru was above Aye, tears welling in her eyes, and as Aye reached for her hand, she squeezed it one last time and let her eyes close._

* * *

><p><em>The light was unbearably bright when Aye opened her eyes. Her body was sore, and she couldn't get up when she wanted to. She just lay there, staring outside. Then there was a foot in front of the door. Aye looked up to see Harada-san, wearing a shocked expression. Since Aye couldn't do anything, she smiled at him.<em>

_"Aye!" Cried Harada-san, sitting on the ground next to Aye._

_"What happened? My whole body feels like hell," spoke Aye, her lungs burning from the effort._

_"The Rasetsu you were fighting with, they attacked you." Harada-san smiled. "You were out for almost a month."_

_"A month?" Aye said, trying to sit up. But when her body kept telling her to give up, she sunk onto the futon._

_"Yeah. Your injury is real bad." Harada-san stated. He let Aye lie back down, and he smiled a bit sadly. "The thing is… The doctor says you won't be able to heal. There is no way you can survive this injury, unless…" He stopped mid-sentence._

_"Unless?" Asked Aye, gesturing him to continue._

_"You drink the Ochimizu." He said, cringing at the word. Aye was in shock. She didn't want to become one of those monsters. She would never take the Ochimizu._

_Never._

* * *

><p><em>When Aye felt better and could walk with someone's help, she was called to the meeting room of the Shinsengumi. The captains were there, discussing something with a serious mask on. Then Kondou-san noticed Aye coming into the room, and smiled at her, although it was not a happy one.<em>

_"Ah, Aye-san, how are you feeling?"_

_"To be honest, not good. But I guess I feel better than before." Aye said, smiling with effort. "So, why did you call me here, Kondou-san?"_

_"That… That is because… You see, while you were asleep, Chizuru… She was kidnapped."_

_"By Kazama Chikage?" Asked Aye, frowning._

_"Yes…"_

_Aye was furious. Partly at the Shinsengumi, but more at herself. She clenched her hands into a fist, and then winced at the pain._

_"How long has it been?"_

_"About a week," Hijikata-san said with a stern expression._

_The Shinsengumi were discussing a way to get Chizuru back, and they had tried, but only got dead or injured soldiers in return. Aye's head was spinning, thinking. She kept thinking, and only got one solution._

_"I'll take it." Said Aye, and everyone in the room gave her a confused expression._

_"Take what?" Asked Heisuke._

_"The Ochimizu."_

* * *

><p>Aye jerked awake as the nightmare died away. She was breathing in short breaths, and her whole body was slick with sweat. She looked around her, her surrounding somewhat recognizable, but strange. Where was this place?<p>

The door of the room slid open, and a man with blonde hair stepped into the room.

"Have you had enough sleep now?" Said Kazama Chikage, smirking.

"Wha—" Said Aye, but stopped as she remembered what had happened. She had lost her mind, and blacked out. Hadn't she blacked out twice already?

Aye sat up, and grimaced as the pain in her chest grew. She looked down, and saw that her chest was patched up unlike before she was conscious. She felt hot, thinking about who could've bandaged her. He would have had to undress her… She shook her head, earning a startled gaze from Kazama.

"So, how long have I been out?"

"Seven nights,"

"A week?!" Shouted Aye, with her hands in the air. Ignoring her chest that was screaming at her to get back down, she got up, and looked up at Kazama.

"Thank you, but I have to go. I've rested for way too long." She grabbed her katana and her outer clothes from the side of the futon. Kazama Chikage didn't even try to stop her.

But she wasn't going to just leave. She had the upper hand here. She could use the element of surprise. She would leave with Kazma Chikage's head. As she walked to the door, she felt Kazama behind her, not far but not close. Aye put her hand on her katana, and unsheathed it so quickly that Kazama didn't have time to even flinch. But he was still wearing that confident and smug look on his face.

"I am not going to fight against an injured person," He smiled, his red eyes staring right through her.

"Oh, now you include me in the category of 'people'?" Aye said, holding her katana as hard as she could, trying not to show her shaking body.

"You can either leave now, or die here." Kazama said, the humor in his eyes fading.

"I would rather die trying, than run away like a coward."

"If that is your choice," said Kazama, unsheathing his katana. Without waiting another moment, Aye charged at him.

The world turned white.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright! So I am back with Chapter 5 of Scarlet Moonlight! I know that I am very selfish to upload this chapter this late... (I'M SO SORRY) Please forgive me! Anyways, this chapter is quite long (in my opinion) so you guys will have to wait until next week. And I am so, very sorry, but I might not be able to upload next week/week after that. I don't know which week, and it's not certain that I won't, so please don't hate me. (I have a writer's block...) And please check out my blog (in my profile!) for the character profile. But you may have to check it out tomorrow, because I'm still working on it!**

**Happy reading!**

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><p>Aye woke up, feeling as stiff as a rock. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was at her room at Shimabara. She looked beside her, and saw Kosuzu sleeping soundly. A jolt of pain shot through Aye's head, and it triggered something in her mind. She suddenly remembered the moment right before she…<p>

Wasn't she fighting against Kazama? What had happened? There were so many questions in her head. She got up and went outside.

It was dark, but the pale moonlight made everything visible.

"Aye-chan! What are you doing out here?" Aye looked behind, and saw Kosuzu come out from the room.

"Hey, I just needed to get some fresh air," said Aye, gesturing for Kosuzu to stand beside her.

"Are you alright? You were gone for almost two weeks! Everyone is freaking out," Kosuzu said, searching Aye for any signs of injuries. Then she saw her chest and gasped. Aye looked down, and saw that the bandage was covered in red. Why wasn't this wound healing? It was healing so slowly, even for a human.

"Oh… Uh… I was… Taken by a doctor?" Said Aye, her statement ending up like a question.

"A doctor?"

"Yeah. There was a doctor in the room that night, and I was injured. So he took me to this place, and gave me all sorts of medicine…"

"But… Why is your wound still there? And it looks bad." Said Kosuzu, sounding a little confused.

"Kosuzu, wounds don't heal right away. It's going to take some time. Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine," Aye laughed, but made a huge mistake by patting her own chest. She grimaced, and suddenly felt too tired and cold to stay outside. "How about we go back inside?"

* * *

><p>"Kazama, why didn't you just kill her then? Are you growing soft or something? Want me to do it for you?" Shiranui was rambling nonsense.<p>

"Shut up," hissed Kazama. "It is none of your business."

"Fine, fine." And with that, Shiranui exited the room.

But he was right. Was Kazama growing soft? Why hadn't he finished her off? She was just an obstacle that was getting in the way. If he got rid of her, everything would be much easier.

But he just couldn't bring himself to hate her.

* * *

><p><em>"Here you go, Aye-san. But are you sure about this?" Asked Sannan-san. Him and Aye were currently in his room, sitting on the floor. He handed her the Ochimizu, not sure if it was the right thing to do.<em>

_"Yes, Sannan-san. I have to do this. It's for Chizuru. If I don't do something now, I may be too late, and we never know what might happen to her." Aye gulped, feeling like there was a giant rock in her throat._

_"I have modified it, and it won't have any side effects. But you will have to drink blood at some point." Said Sannan-san. Aye nodded, and pulled the cap off from the vial, and hesitated for a second before bringing it to her lips. She tilted her head back, and as the liquid slid inside mouth, she swallowed. There was a burning sensation in her throat, but she ignored it and took in all of the Ochimizu._

_When she finished the whole thing, she put the empty vial down onto the tatami floor. She somehow felt… Different. Lighter. Active. More like her real self. She closed her eyes, and forced herself to calm down._

_"How do you feel, Aye-san?" Sannan-san asked, he maintained his calm expression, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes._

_"I feel…" Aye slowly opened her eyes, and her hair turned white as snow, and eyes red as blood._

_"Good."_

* * *

><p>The sun was bright, as it slid in the room. Aye got up, her chest aching, and dressed into a simple kimono. She realized that Kosuzu was deep in her dreams, still tired from last nights talk. Aye slid the door open, and stepped out. She closed the door as quietly as she could, and walked towards the kitchen to get some breakfast.<p>

When she arrived there, she was greeted by Kimigiku. She frowned, and looked at Aye.

"Aye-sama, if you don't mind, would you do us a favor?"

"Sure? What is it?"

"We ran out of sake, and we soon have to get to work. If you don't mind… Please?"

"Yeah, okay sure." Aye said, walking out of the kitchen, and out of Shimabara.

There were so many people, Aye couldn't get to the sake shop that was only a few shops away. But thanks to her height, she could see well enough to squeeze through people, although her chest was screeching at her to stop and go back to Shimabara and rest.

"Oof. Sorry—" Aye said as she bumped into a big man. But she was stopped when she looking up and found Harada-san peering down at her.

"Aye?"

"Harada-san!" Shouted Aye, glad to see the familiar face. She looked behind him, and saw few of the Shinsengumi members. They were all wearing their blue haoris.

"What are you doing here? And did you hurt yourself or something?" Harada-san said, gesturing at her chest.

"Oh this… It's a long story."

"Is it? Then why don't I treat you with some dango?"

"I don't have much time, but I won't say no."

After explaining the whole story of her fight against the man, and how she got injured, she said her goodbye to Harada-san, she started heading back to the sake shop. There were less people than before, so it was easier to get to the shop.

When she arrived at the shop and stepped in, she found herself talking to a very greedy looking man. His eyes scanned her, up and down, and this made her feel uncomfortable and irritated.

"Here you go," the man said, handing Aye the bottle of sake. But as if he did it on purpose, he kept his hold on it, and waited for Aye to reach her hand out. Their hands touched, but Aye just ignored it, and nodded politely.

"Thank you." Said Aye, and she turned around, but found herself stopped by a few men standing in her way. "Excuse me," she said, but they just stood there, smirking. Two of the men grabbed Aye's arms, but she quickly kicked them in the shins. They let go, but another pair of men were beside her.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us, girl." They said, grabbing her arm. She twisted and tried to free herself, but her chest hurt like hell. They dragged her towards the back of the shop, but she somehow managed to get out, and she ran out of the shop. She heard one of them yelling at them to get her. She pushed out any thoughts in her mind, and ran.

Aye was running, straight and didn't look back even once. But then she was pulled by a hand that grabbed her arm and covered her mouth. She unknowingly screamed into the hand, and she felt herself hit something hard and warm. She elbowed the person's abdomen, but they didn't budge.

The men who were chasing her ran past the alley that she was in, and when their voices and pounding footsteps disappeared, she was finally let go. She gasped and sucked in a breath, and looked behind her to see red eyes. They were glowing in the dark alley.

"Kazama? What are you doing?" Asked Aye, her hand flying towards her fans. She pulled them out of her kimono, and she got into an attack stance.

"I thought I had made myself clear, _fake_. I don't fight against injured people," he hissed. Aye flinched at the word 'fake', as Kazama emphasized it so clearly. His smirk was gone, and now there was a hint of… What was that? Concern? It was dark in the alley, so she decided she was making things up.

"Okay," she said, stuffing her fans back into her kimono. "Why did you help me back there?"

"I didn't _help_ you. I only did my job."

"Your job?"

"Yes. I—" But he was interrupted by a group of men shouting orders.

"That's the girl! Get her!" One of men said, and the rest of them came running at Aye. But even before she could get her fans out, they were all knocked down onto the ground. The last man was standing in front of Kazama, trembling.

"Wha, what are you?" He said, his voice squeaking. But before he could do anything, or even move, his head was separated from the rest of his body. His head dropped to the ground, a fountain of blood spraying everywhere, including Aye's legs.

Then, she felt something hit her stomach, and the whole world tilted.

The last thing she saw was Kazama Chikage's scarlet eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Aye entered a place with a very strange aura. If she wasn't here to save Chizuru, she would've been wary, and took it slowly. But since she <em>was_ here to get Chizuru, she quickly ran in, and opened every door in the place, until she found one, where Kazama Chikage was. She halted in front of the door, and strained to listen to the conversation that was going on in the room._

_"Kazama, what are you going to do with the girl now?" A deep voice asked._

_"He's probably going to force her—" A familiar voice said, but Aye couldn't be bothered enough to guess who. He was cut off by a footstep, and the door slid open. Aye jumped, but she was too startled to move. Would Kazama know it was her even if half of her face was covered?_

_"What are you doing here?" He hissed, his red eyes catching Aye off guard. She didn't say anything and just stood there, unsure of what to do._

_"You came here to get Yukimura Chizuru, didn't you?" Smirked Kazama._

_"In fact, I did." Replied Aye, her hands reaching for her katana. She unsheathed it, and glared at Kazama._

_"Where is she?"_

_"Now, why would I tell you?"_

_"Tell. Me." She said through clenched teeth. Aye raised her katana, and tried to strike Kazama. But her sword was stopped mid-way by a large hand that grabbed her katana._

_"I believe this fight is unnecessary," said the man, his words directed at Aye. She swore and sheathed her katana._

_"Where is Chizuru?" Aye asked, her gaze drifting to the man's cyan eyes._

_"I am afraid you have come to the wrong place to find that Oni,"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"A few days ago, she was taken by her twin brother and her father." Kazama said, his red eyes full of hatred._

_"And you didn't bother to fight? I thought she was—"_

_"They had an army of Rasetsu's, and they were too fast for us to catch them." The man cut off._

_"Do you know the location of they took Chizuru?" Although Aye hated relying on the Oni's for information, they were her only source._

_"Their usual hideout. Follow me, if you will."_

_They arrived at the mountains not long after, and Aye turned to Amagiri._

_"Why did you help me here?" She asked, suspicion filled in her eyes. But before she could hear anything he said, Amagiri was gone._

_Without thinking, Aye ran into the hideout, where Chizuru would be. But the moment she walked in, she was attacked by a group of white haired beasts. She was ready, though, as she sliced through one being after another. Killing the Rasetsu was not very hard, but as they kept coming again and again, their group never ending, she started getting hit. One of them lunged at her, and she hit its katana away. It screeched as its hand came for her face, and scratched her pale skin. Blood trickled down her cheek to her neck, and dripped onto the floor._

_As she swept through the wave of demons, she was getting tired, and a burst of adrenaline was the only thing that was keeping her alive. But as she littered the area with corpses, she began feeling light headed and dizzy. She couldn't make it out alive in this condition. She had to change to a Rasetsu herself. Although the thought was sickening, once she changed, she felt better, and the metal smell of blood started to smell good._

_Aye killed the last Rasetsu that was in front of her, and it tumbled to the ground. After checking that there were no more left, she started walking through the ground full of bloodied bodies. But she was stopped short when she spotted a man. And by his side, was a boy who looked exactly like Chizuru. He stepped forward, drawing his sword. Aye shook the blood from her katana, and readied herself for the battle that was yet to come._

_"Where is she?!" Yelled Aye, as she lunged at the boy._


	6. Notice

Hey guys! I'm really sorry, but I won't be updating for the following two weeks.

Life is getting very tiring for me, and I haven't really had the time to read.

I'll be coming back on February 9th!


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: OH MY GOD... Everyone, I am SO sorry! I am a week late! I accidentally thought that I was supposed to update today (February 16th). And there were a lot of things going on... Anyways, I am really sorry, and I swear that one day (when I feel like writing a lot) I will make it up to you by updating more chapters for a week. Please forgive me!**

**So! The last chapter ended with Aye meeting Kaoru, and lunging at him to tell her where Chizuru is... What do you think will happen? Well, you gotta read to find out!**

**P.S. Maybe I was also watching Fairy Tail and got addicted... SORRY!**

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><p>"Did you check on her?"<p>

"Yes, Serizawa-sensei." Serizawa? That name sounded too familiar as Aye struggled to sit up. She realized her hands were bound with a rope, and so were her legs. She felt for her fans or any weapons, but all of them were missing. She swore, and the door of the dark room opened. A man stepped in, and he stood there, looking down at Aye. As she looked up, her eyes widened and she cursed.

"You…" Aye said, glaring at the man standing in front of her. He smirked, and held something out. It was an ornament, a woman's. Then it hit her. It was the ornament that she had stabbed his thigh with.

"Hmmm… I see, you remember this?" Serizawa smirked. He was now sitting beside her, looking calm.

Aye couldn't stay like this. She had to find a way to unbind these ropes and get out. She started twisting her hands to get out, but her hands were tied too firmly. She then was forced to look into his eyes when he put his hand on her chin.

"You don't want to die, do you?" Said Serizawa, now caressing her cheek. She felt disgusted. Aye just glared into his eyes, but his smile never wavered. "If you want to live, why don't you pay me with your… body?" He said, a mad smirk spreading over his face. She could feel herself shaking, not from fear, but from revulsion and anger.

"Never." Aye said, as she spit onto his face. Immediately, his smirk was tore off from his face, and replaced with an angrier one.

"How dare you!" Yelled Serizawa, as his hand raised to strike her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come. But it wasn't just pain, but impact, as it slammed her to the wall of the room. She tried not to make any sounds, but a slight groan passed her lips as she slumped to the ground. Her cheek ached, and she could taste the blood in her mouth.

Serizawa was in front of her a second later and he looked down at her. Aye spat the blood in her mouth at the man's feet, and he sneered at her.

"You think you can kill me?" He said, bringing his face close to hers as he wiped the spit from his face. "YOU. CAN'T. DEFEAT. ME." Each word was like a needle in her heart. She placed her hands on the floor, and tried to push herself up, but failed, and fell to the ground.

She hated being so weak and powerless. Especially to a selfish and disgusting bastard. With her hands on the floor, she couldn't do anything but keep trying to get up. But Serizawa didn't stop her. He just stayed there, smirking at Aye. He was playing with the hair ornament in his hand, twirling it. He then smiled, and plunged it to the ground. There was a sickening crunch, and blood pooled around Aye's hand. Her vision went black, and white spots invaded her sight. She looked down, and realized that the ornament was now on the floor, stabbed through Aye's right hand. She swallowed back a scream, and grimaced, but kept her head down as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. Then a hand grabbed her hair and lifted her from the ground. Aye screamed as the ornament slid out of her hand the other way. Her hand felt numb, and her head felt like the hair was being pulled out of her scalp. She couldn't do anything, since her hands were bound and her feet were tied together. She kicked and thrashed, and even though she knew she looked ridiculous, she had to do something.

Serizawa knocked her head onto the wall, and blood trickled down from her head. She bit into her cheek, as she felt her head throbbing.

"If you don't intend to repay me, how about I just kill you?" He asked, his hand still full of Aye's hair. "Or maybe that may be too kind of me."

She couldn't remember anything after.

* * *

><p><em>The sound of swords clashing was like music to Aye's ears, as she brought her katana down, only to be met by another one. But as they fought, Aye was growing tired, and the grip on her Rasetsu side started slipping. Panting, she scanned the area for any signs of Chizuru, and almost got hit by the boy's blade.<em>

_"Getting tired?" Said the boy as he thrust his katana into Aye's shoulder. She jumped out of the way, but the blade still hit her shoulder, and she hissed in pain. She then realized that the man who had been standing next to the boy was gone. He must have gone to Chizuru. Aye's whole body ached, and she probably couldn't keep this fight up for much longer. So she crashed her katana as hard as she could, to finish quickly. But the small boy was too quick, and wouldn't give her a break. Aye swung her sword at his neck, and he dodged just by an inch. Seeing that as an opening, Aye grabbed three of her daggers and threw them at the boy._

_Each found their way to his neck, chest, and his stomach. This attack would probably kill him—not right away, but he would bleed to death. She ran into the building, and heard footsteps and a muffled scream somewhere. She followed the noise._

_Chizuru's hands were tied behind her back, and her mouth was covered by a piece of cloth. She was currently being led somewhere by the man. When her caramel eyes met Aye's, they turned wide. There were tears in Chizuru's eyes, and judging from what Aye could see right now, she wasn't injured. Sighing in relief, Aye neared the man, and he reached to his side, and unsheathed a short katana. Aye has seen the sword so many times there was no way she would've forgotten it. It was Chizuru's._

_She charged at the man, her fans in each hand now. She wanted to go easy on an old man. But she had underestimated him. He was skilled, and she was tired. There was a low chance of her winning. So sliding the blades in the fans out, she sliced the air, and stabbed the man in his shoulder. He swore and fell to the ground, clutching his arm._

_"Chizuru!" Said Aye, rushing towards Chizuru. She untied the cloth around her mouth first, and then worked on her hands._

_"Aye-chan! Thank god you're here," said Chizuru, her voice shaking a little. When her hands were free from the rope, Chizuru embraced Aye in a tight hug._

_"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"_

_"I'm fine. But what about you? And how did you know where I was?"_

_"Kazama," sighed Aye, now remembering that Chizuru had been held captive by two people. "I think we are both tired, and we should head back to the Shinsengumi's headquarters." She said, giving Chizuru the best smile she could make out right now._

_"Yeah, why don't we do that?"_

* * *

><p><em>When they arrived at the headquarters, they were welcomed by the Shinsengumi, and especially a relieved Hijikata-san. Aye rushed out of the crowd, feeling tired and sick. She just wanted to take a bath and rest in her room. She stepped into her room, swiftly taking a change of clothes. Walking to the bath took a while. Aye bumped into way too many people, and they kept telling her how happy they were that she was back. Wanting to take a bath, she brushed them away, and continued her walk.<em>

_She finally went into the room, feeling relieved she was now alone. After slipping out of her bloodstained and sweaty clothes, she stepped into the warm water. She probably looked like a huge mess right now. The whole water began to turn red, and she realized the huge cut on her shoulder that she had forgotten about. She clenched her teeth, feeling the pain that vibrated through her body. She wiped the blood, and cleaned her body._

_Aye felt like a new person after soaking herself in water. She slipped into her clean pair of clothes, and walked out, closing the door behind her. Swiftly moving through hallways, she went into her room, and rummaged through her drawers, looking for something to bandage her wound with. She found a piece of cloth, and it looked long enough for it to go around her whole shoulder._

_Slipping the top of the silky clothing off, she took a look at her shoulder. There was still some blood forming, and the cut looked quite deep. Grabbing the piece of cloth, she wrapped it around her shoulder, and tying it up at the end. The fabric had already turn red by the time she slipped her clothes back on._

_"Aye-chan?" Heisuke's voice was heard through the door._

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you alright? It's time for dinner, and you haven't come out, so we were worried."_

_"It's already time? Sorry, I'll be out in a moment," said Aye. She stood from the floor, feeling a little light-headed from standing up too quickly. Walking towards the door, she slid it open and found Heisuke standing, a huge grin on his face._

_"We're having a feast tonight. Kondou-san is really glad that you and Chizuru are okay, and wishes to thank you." He said, as they walked towards the dining room._

_"Excuse us," Aye said for the both of them. When they entered, she spotted all the Shinsengumi captains sitting on the floor, and Chizuru, who had a bright smile. The food tonight was different—as Heisuke had mentioned. Fish, rice, and so many other side dishes that she didn't even know the names of._

_"Aye-san, how are you feeling?" Kondou-san asked, a tinge of concern in his voice._

_"I am fine, Kondou-san," answered Aye, smiling up at the man, and his expression brightened._

_"That is good to hear, but could you please explain what had happened?" Sannan-san questioned._

_"Well…"_

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><p><strong>Woah, I just checked my story, and WOW. 1,023 reads? 13 followers? 11 favorites? I know some of you may not think that this is a big number, but to me, it really is. And it's very meaningful. So I thank all of you!<strong>

_**Kitsune Kyubi: Thanks for the kind review! I really worked hard on the trailer, and I appreciate that you actually bothered to watch it AND post a review.**_

_**Sakazaki-Rikou: Thank you for always reading and reviewing my story! You posted the most reviews, and I really thank you for that.**_

**That's it guys! Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, and keep reading and reviewing it. PLEASE! I will see you next week, with more of Scarlet Moonlight! Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am back with more of Scarlet Moonlight. I know this chapter is quite short... But please try to enjoy it! And just incase anyone is confused or anything, Serizawa was not part of the old Shinsengumi in this story. Lately I have had to prepare for school and everything next week. I also had to do a 4 hour worth of volunteer service just for school. So I am sorry that I am posting this chapter later than usual, and that it is short. But I swear on everything I love. I will make it up to you guys someday. Now, I don't know when that 'someday' is, but it's probably not THAT far away.**

**Kind of late, but:**

**HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!**

**And happy reading!**

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><p>The sound of chains woke Aye from her deep slumber. She didn't notice the state she was in, until she felt the overwhelming pain coming all at once. Where was she? And why was she chained up? Wherever she was, it was dark and reeked of blood. Footsteps echoed through the space, and she lifted her head, and found a large figure standing in front of her.<p>

"I see, you have woken up," the man said. His voice was low, and he seemed to be smirking.

"Who… are you?" Aye asked, not remembering anything. She didn't remember why or how she got here either.

"Do you not remember?" He said, a venomous expression taking over his face. "Then why don't I help you remember?" The man pulled out a hair ornament from his robe. It was beautiful, but was coated with dry blood.

"Serizawa…" Aye whispered, as she recalled what had happened before she lost her mind. Everything was still dim and hazy. A growl of rage ripped through her dry mouth, and she used all the strength left in her body to pull on the cuffs that were holding her back from slitting the man's throat. She pulled, shifting into her Rasetsu form. But the cuffs and the chains would not budge. What were they made of?

"These were made from the finest iron in Japan," he commented, stating that her struggling was pointless. Aye was now panting, but tried to hide how exhausted she actually was.

"Damn it," she swore, making Serizawa smirk.

"Do not worry, you will be home soon, with the _Shinsengumi_." He spat. This earned him a startled expression from Aye.

"How…"

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><p><em>Everything was a blinding shade of white, and there was nobody else besides Aye. She was sprawled on the ground, looking up lifelessly. Wait… Something was wrong. She was… looking at herself? Aye moved closer to the body, and took a look. It really was herself. The Aye on the floor wasn't moving or breathing. She seemed to be dead.<em>

_"What…" She asked herself. What in the world was going on here? Then there was a person walking towards them, their laugh rumbling. The man was tall, and his blonde hair ruffled at the sudden gust of wind. Aye stared wide-eyed at the man, suddenly feeling too tired to look up._

_"Kazama…" She whispered. Had he killed her? Why? _

_"Aye," Kazama said. Aye? He wouldn't call her that. This was wrong. Everything here was wrong._

_"Aye!"_

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><p>"Aye!" A familiar voice shouted. Aye opened her eyes, to find Chizuru and Harada-san atop her. From the looks of it, she was laying on the floor in front their headquarters. So everything was just a dream.<p>

"What happened?" Chizuru asked, a little dumbfounded at the situation.

"I… I don't know," answered Aye. Her response was followed by a startled shout, as Harada-san hauled her up.

"We need to get you inside. Look at your wounds," he said. This wasn't the usual playful Harada-san. He was actually serious this time. _Feeling_ her injuries, she lifted her right hand, as there was a hole that pierced it.

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><p>Chizuru was now treating her injuries, being careful not to hurt Aye. When she came down to her right hand, Aye hissed at how much it stung. Being the kind natured girl she is, Chizuru winced and looked at Aye with her beautiful honey-colored eyes.<p>

"It's fine," she said, waving her other hand. It was a lie. It hurt like hell. She noticed that she was biting her inner cheek so hard; she could taste the metallic flavor of blood.

"About going back to Shimabara…" Chizuru started. "I really don't think you should go back." A frown formed between her eyebrows.

"Chizuru, I must go. To be honest, I haven't been of any help yet."

The brown-haired girl then started asking about things that had happened at the red-light district. Although she knew it wouldn't be a too pleasant talk, she was curious. Aye told her mostly everything—but of course, leaving out the parts with Kazama.

Then Heisuke called from outside, that Kondou-san wanted everyone to assemble at the meeting room.

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><p>"Aye-san, do you mind telling us what happened?" Kondou-san gently asked, trying not to sound like he was prying.<p>

"The thing is… I… don't remember," lied Aye, feeling guilty that she said that. Even though her loyalties lay with the Shinsengumi, she felt like she would endanger everyone by telling them.

"What happened before? How can you not—"

"Lets not ask too many questions," cut in Chizuru. Despite being the quiet and polite one, she was confident when it came down to Hijikata-san. She just gave him 'the look', and he cleared his throat and quieted down.

Then there was a gunshot outside, and everyone jolted up. But they didn't even need to try and guess who it was. There was only one person who would use a gun in here, and only one person who could've ordered him.

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><p><strong>So that's it! And you probably know who the 'one person' is. You know...<strong>

**Anyways, I thank all of you who have even bothered to read my story, but I especially thank those of you who actually took the time to write me a review! Sorry, these things kind of make me all jumpy. I know my story is not perfect or anything, and that it has taken down the path of a little bit of— okay, maybe quite a lot—violence. But do not fear! The next few chapters just MIGHT have some romance between Kazama and Aye. I mean, I honestly don't know, but yeah...**

_**Sakazaki-Rikou: I really thank you for writing a review for almost every chapter of my story!**_

_**anonia12: Yeah... I'm sorry if you dislike this story, but I am trying my best...**_

_**Kitsune Kyubi: THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have always wrote such kind reviews~ And I'm so glad to hear that my story made your day! It makes me want to cry out of joy. And your review makes MY day!**_

**Goodbye, and see you next Monday!**

**P.S. If you guys get bored while waiting for this story, you can go ahead on Wattpad, and read my sister's AWESOME book. I'm not saying this because she's my sister, but because this story is truly the best.**

**It's called:**

_**The Queen's Essence Book 1: The Calling**_

**Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I was re-reading the past chapters, and realized that I never got to explain what Aye wears. ****I guess Aye normally wears something like Yamazaki's clothes (black, kinda like a ninja). And another thing, the Shinsengumi are NOT Rasetsu's in my fanfiction. Lots of you wanted to read from Kazama's perspective, and so I will do that for you. It might not be so good, cause you know, he's a really 'shut off' kind of person and his thoughts are also hard to write. ****This chapter sort of has a _'Ooooo~ Kazama romance moment'_. :P You'll see, you'll see.**

**And I'm sorry that my update is later in the day, but from now on, I will be updating it around this time every Monday. School started, and everything has become so much more confusing and busy. So please try to understand, and thank you.**

**Happy reading!**

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><p><em>Red hair... The woman standing in front of him was beautiful—no, there was no word that could describe her. Kazama stood there, frozen and unable to move. It seemed as if the woman had somehow paralyzed him with her beauty. But he never thought of anyone as beautiful, or stunning.<em>

_Who was this extraordinary woman?_

_She was wearing an all black attire, with her copper hair tied back. The girl slowly turned around and the only thing he got a glimpse of were her gray eyes, and then he was pulled away, into the real world._

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><p>The sound of a gunshot made him remember that he was at the Shinsengumi headquarters to finish this business once and for all. Yes. He couldn't be daydreaming about some beautiful woman. He would not fail this time. He would not let anyone get in his way.<p>

Soon enough, the members of the Shinsengumi were out, unsheathing their katanas. Among them was the Rasetsu. None of them seemed to be relaxed, as they all raised their swords and stood in an offensive stance. Everyone, everything was still and silent. Then, there was a wary voice that cut through the silence.

"You will not have Chizuru," the voice said. Kazama recognized her instantly. Her copper hair was tied up in a bun, and strands were handing down, framing her delicate and pale face. She seemed to be injured, as she had cloth around her head and right hand. What surprised him was that she would stand up despite the state she was in right now. But that faded quickly, as he recalled the time when she had demanded a fight when she was brutally injured. He just smirked, and waited for her to say or do anything.

He was like a predator, who had just spotted its prey.

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><p>Aye was standing a few paces away from Kazama, and was startled—no, <em>shocked<em>—when she saw his expression. It was somehow like he was surprised, but not. But as quick as his expression had changed, it changed back to the calm, yet unsettling smirk. Her face turned a shade red, as she scolded herself for thinking such things that would probably never happen.

Still not wanting to back out, she looked up into those scarlet eyes, but instead found herself trapped in them.

"We know why you are here, Kazama." Hijikata-san spoke, holding Chizuru behind him. "Get out," he said.

"If you think we'll leave that easily, you're mistaken," Shiranui hummed. Aye hated how the purple haired man was always acting as if everything was a game. Did they think that getting Chizuru would be easy? Considering the number of times they have failed, they should've given up. These were some persistent people.

Hijikata-san charged at the blonde man, and sliced through. But his efforts were met by a dodge each time. Shiranui and Amagiri also got into action. Aye also took a step, but was stopped by a large yet kind hand.

"Aye-san, you are injured. Why don't you keep an eye on Chizuru?" Voiced Kondou-san. She gave him a short nod, as he strode into battle as well. Chizuru and Aye were left out, and as Aye observed the scene, she stood there, wanting nothing more than to fight. But she had to do something about Chizuru. Hide her? Yes, that was probably the smartest thing she could do.

The two girls ran towards a room with Aye leading. When she was sure that nobody was watching or following, she opened a door to a random room and pushed Chizuru and herself in. Putting a finger to her mouth, Aye gestured to keep as quiet as she could. Since Kazama and the others were an Oni, they could probably hear them breathing.

Trying to be noiseless as possible, Aye did not dare to move even an inch. She strained to hear what was happening outside, and only heard battle cries. It would be a huge trouble if anyone came here, since Aye was injured and could barely hold her katana. If the time came, she would have to use all her might. She couldn't even shift into her Rasetsu form.

Then, there were footsteps. Footsteps were coming their way. Holding her breath, Aye tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword, forgetting all the pain that was pulsing. The only thing she could hear were the footsteps, and her own heard pounding against her chest.

The person stopped in front of the door, and Chizuru jerked back as she saw the shadow. The looming figure's hand reached up, and he slid open the door. Drawing her katana out, she stabbed the person—or at least tried to—but missed. No, the man caught her sword.

Amagiri stood in front of the two unmoving girls. He had a hold of Aye's katana in one hand. What kind of monster was he? Feeling the need to defend her and Chizuru with something else, Aye slipped a dagger in her left palm and threw it with all her might.

If he were a normal human being—which he was not—the dagger would've hit him, and maybe even caused him to bleed to death. But Amagiri stayed there, unfazed. He had avoided her attack with ease. The dagger had flown somewhere outside.

"I do not desire to fight against women," stated the man. He let the sword drop from his hand, and looked Aye straight in the eye. Then a question that she had wanted to know the answer to came up in mind.

"What do you want with Chizuru?" She asked.

"That is not something for me to tell." Amagiri said, disappointing her. This probably meant that if she wanted to know, she would have to ask Kazama herself.

_'This isn't the time to be casually talking with an enemy.'_

Aye had to get Chizuru out of here, away from all the disaster and danger. Even if it meant sacrificing herself, Aye could die, but Chizuru could—and would—not. She looked back at Chizuru, to find the girl kneeling on the floor, looking up with her wide eyes. Aye pointed to the door behind her back—a door that would lead her to another room, which was connected to an exit.

Trusting that her friend would have gotten her point, she breathed in, and spoke.

"I don't count as a woman."

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><p><strong>Am I being too mean to Aye? Sorry, but I really like it when the main girl is tough and can stand all the mean things an author can do to her. :D Have any of you guys read my sister's story by the way? Just asking.<strong>

_**ILoveKuramaTooMuch: Thank you so much! I read your review, and it literally made me smile for the whole day. I couldn't stop myself from feeling proud of myself and bragging about it to others. :P Thank you, and please keep sending in reviews!**_

**That is it for today! I will see everyone next Monday!**


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